The Star Trek Online team recently started a lovely new blog series called “Star Trek Memories”, where various team members write a paragraph or two on what made them fans. (Part 1 here; part 2 here). It’s great for a couple of reasons–first, the individual tributes are touching to read; and secondly, it’s an excellent reminder that the people who create the game are fans as well. It’s a good exercise for this anniversary year, so I thought I’d share mine.

Probably my first memory is watching The Motion Picture at the cinema, at the age of 8. I remember being enthralled at the space scenes, and I’m sure I fell in love with the Enterprise during the ship’s lengthy introduction. I don’t think I got much else from it, being a bit young to really understand what was going on, but hey, spaceships!

Star Trek wasn’t on TV that much in the UK during that time. It would be on BBC 2 during the Summer months every couple of years, so most of my Trek fix during the ’80s came from books. James Blish’s adaptations of the original series, Alan Dean Foster’s adaptations of the cartoons, dozens of original novels. Through them I started to understand the messages and philosophy at the heart of the show, starting with IDIC–Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations; as Mark Lenard (speaking as Sarek) said on the “Inside Star Trek” record: “It has given us quite a lovely universe”. Other messages, of equality, exploration, cooperation, and tenacity, also resonated with me. Together they said “The future will be a better place if we come together, celebrate our differences, and work for it”.

That message, combined with the characters who embodied it, are to me the essence of Star Trek, and what made it the enduring cultural phenomena it is. May it live long and prosper.